


matters of the head and heart

by icemakestars



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Caring Girlfriend, F/F, Healing, M/M, Mom Friend Mirajane, References to Depression, Tumblr: FTLGBTales, caring boyfriend, gratsuweekend2k19
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-01
Updated: 2019-03-01
Packaged: 2019-11-07 12:32:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17960600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icemakestars/pseuds/icemakestars
Summary: Natsu does not hate anything more than he hates Gray's blue hoodie.





	matters of the head and heart

**Author's Note:**

> This is for the gratsu weekend on tumblr! follow fuckyeahgratsu if you want more info

 

Natsu did not think it would be possible to be frustrated by Gray’s lack of stripping, but he could not help it; Gray was wearing his blue hoodie. That only ever meant one thing. 

 

He sighed, eyes cast down at the Fairy Tail bar as his head fell against his hands. Happy was sleeping by Wendy’s feet, and Lucy had taken a job with Juvia and Cana; it was refreshing for Natsu to have a moment to think, to work out if he could be of any use to Gray. 

 

That hoodie was Gray’s comfort item, something he only wore when his own skin had become unbearable; when his depression was too much, and he could hardly function. Seeing him in the guild meant that he was not doing terribly, but he was still quiet, sitting in the corner nursing a beer that he knew he should not be drinking. Looking at him, Natsu felt something heavy settle in his stomach, an intense yearning to help; to love. 

 

“Is everything okay, Natsu?” Mirajane’s voice was sweet, her concern carried over in her hushed tone and creased brow. 

 

For a moment, Natsu hesitated. But then he remembered how Erza acted on occasion, and realised that maybe Mirajane would be the only person within the guild who could help him. 

 

“When Erza gets bad, what do you do to help?” Natsu risked a glance at Gray, inclined his body across the bar until he was inches away from Mirajane’s face. The woman did not flinch, her gaze hardening into something more melancholic. 

 

Mirajane sighed, placed her tray next to Natsu, and took his hands in her own. 

 

“Is this about Gray? I noticed that he hasn’t been doing too well recently.” 

 

Despite the heat in his face, Natsu still managed to nod quickly. 

 

For a second, Mirajane smirked, and Natsu saw a shadow of her teenage self in that impish action. 

 

“I didn’t realise that you two were so close.”

 

Her eyebrows raised, and Natsu tore his hands away, throwing them behind his head in embarrassment. 

 

“If you’re not gonna help, Mira-”

 

“No, no, I’m sorry,” She exhaled her breath, losing it along with her smile, and looked at Natsu squarely; without pretense. “All you can do is be there for him, let him know that you’re thinking of him. That you’re willing to listen.” 

 

“But what if that isn’t enough?” Natsu hardly recognised the frailty within his own voice, and he shied away from it, from the vulnerability.

 

Mirajane’s smile was a mere lift of one corner of her mouth, and yet it was a comfort to Natsu,

 

“Gray looks at you the way I caught Erza staring at me. It will be enough, Natsu, because he loves you.” 

 

It was embarrassing, having his supposedly secret relationship with Gray exposed like this, but Natsu trusted Mirajane to keep it even from her own girlfriend, at least until Gray was feeling better. He offered her a forced grin, a shadow of his usual flare and impish charm, and then moved off his stool to cross the guild and settle next to Gary. 

 

He was inexperienced with matters such as this, but he loved Gray, and that alone was enough to set a determination in his heart to help Gray heal, until he loved himself too. 


End file.
